Sleepy village depicted in Hardy novels in shock after 23-year-old arrested on suspicion of murdering pensioner

The quiet village depicted in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbevilles has been thrown into turmoil after a 23-year-old resident was arrested on suspicion of murdering a pensioner.

Police launched a manhunt after the pensioner, named locally as former BBC radio presenter Winton Cooper, was found dead by a neighbour in the tiny village of Marnhull, near Sturminster Newton in Dorset.

They arrested the 23-year-old man shortly after. Neighbours said both men live in the village and were well known in the area.

Manhunt: Winton Cooper, left, and Michael Cooke, two of Radio Sheffield's most popular presenters of yesteryear. Mr Cooper was found dead dead by a neighbour in the tiny village of Marnhull, near Sturminster Newton in Dorset

'Police are being really tight lipped about it, the house has been cordoned off and everyone's really shocked,' said one local.

'We're calling it Midsomer Marnhull - things like this do not happen here.

Armed officers, police dogs and a police helicopter swarmed over the village to conduct an extensive search of the area after the grim discovery.

Pub landlord Gino Gibbs said armed police locked down houses before storming into a village pub - The Blackmoor Vale.

'Last night we had no idea what was happening and suddenly we saw about 19 police cars speed into the village.

'All these officers with guns ran into the pub and just locked the doors and told everyone they couldn't leave.

'And on the streets police were screaming at people to just get back into their homes. It was terrifying.

Mr Gibbs, who manages a different pub to the one involved, added: 'This is a sleepy village and no-one had any idea what was happening.'

Police cordoned off the house where the man was discovered, on the picturesque cul-de-sac Ham Meadow in the village, which was immortalised as Marlot in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the Durbervilles.

They said that although the dead man, believed to be aged in his 60s, had not yet been formally identified, his family had been told about the death.

Detectives were waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination to find out the cause of the man's death.

Neighbours said they were shocked to hear of the death. 'It's very worrying, we've seen the police cars this morning but nobody really knows what's going on,' one elderly resident said.

'It's terrible to think that something like this can happen in your street. This is such a small village and it's such a safe place to live.

'A lot of the people who live here are older people who will be very frightened by it all.'

Ex-BBC radio Winton Cooper covered the Hillsborough disaster during his time on Radio Sheffield.

One of the most popular presenters at the station, he worked alongside former footballer Emlyn Hughes in the commentary box and hosted a weekly show.

On April 15, 1989 Mr Cooper was broadcasting at the ill-fated FA Cup semi-final tie between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough.

Speaking in 2009, his former boss at BBC Radio Sheffield Robert Jackson said that Mr Cooper was covering the match from the press box, but did not know the extent of the tragedy that was unfolding.

'People were being laid out on the ground but he assumed they were injured because no-one was covering them with blankets at that stage.'